Solitude – Episode 43
SOLITUDE
_43_
I thought it would be easy, going back to the office and working normally but that is where I was wrong. It was just yesterday when Chanda was arrested in my house and her beautiful photos have already littered social media, they are nasty things being said about her and those that are trying to sympathize with her are making me look like the villain.
I keep looking at the time hoping it’s 5PM but it is only 9AM, my door opens and I know whoever has walked in is tired of knocking because I haven’t been responding.
He clears his throat.
‘Can I have a word.’ Chibesa says
I just nod my head without turning around, I am standing in such a way that I am facing outside.
‘I am sorry about Chanda.’ He begins
‘So am I.’ I respond before turning around
I notice the look on his face but l can’t quite put a finger to it because I don’t know what it is that he is feeling.
‘I don’t know where to begin.’ He says honestly before taking a deep
breath
‘How about why you are here?’
I know I am being pretty rude but at this point I don’t mind because he has hurt her badly and if anything he should be out there making sure that she is okay.
‘I never wanted for things to end this way Nella.’
‘Uhm.’
‘Honestly I love Chanda but there are a lot of things that can not allow us to be together.’
‘You do understand that I never asked for an explanation from you right?’ I ask
‘I just thought you kept me here because you wanted to hurt her.’
I sigh, deeply because I am trying so hard to refrain from cussing.
‘You honestly think I kept you here because I wanted to hurt Chanda?’ I ask as if I had not heard him clearly at first
‘Well I know you were mad at Chanda for everything that she did and that is why you fired her but you could have fired me too because you knew that I was an accomplice in all this.’
‘Were you now?’ I ask with a raised eyebrow
He looks at me, then looks down.
‘Chibesa I don’t know the gravity of the crime that you and Chanda have committed but here is what I want you to know; I kept you here not to hurt her or make her feel a certain type of way but because you are very hard working and I know you love your job.’
‘Unless I was wrong.’ I add
He sighs
‘No you weren’t, I just thought you hate me.’
‘Chibesa I don’t have to like you in order you keep you here, you have an obligation and that is to do your job diligently and I get to pay you your dues at the end of the day. It is never written anywhere that the employer is supposed to like his employees in order to keep them around; once you enter work premises you forget about all that and do your job. And that is what I except of you.’ I say dismissively.’
I watch as he walks out, I know he is surprised but everything I have told him is the truth. I don’t have to like him or any of my employees, as long as they are doing their job that’s fine by me.
The rest of the morning I keep myself busy by going through reports and meeting up with the lawyers to find out how we are progressing. By the time it is lunch I call it a day and tell my secretary to cancel my appointments for the afternoon and schedule them for the following day because I want to use this time to see Chanda.
I drive to woodlands police station where she is being held, the officers are busy with other things when I get there and I have to wait an hour before they can allow me to see her.
‘Hey you.’ She says smiling when she stands against those metal bars
‘Hey.’ I say touching her hands
‘Why are you not working?’
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‘Chanda how can I when you are here.’
‘Nella you need to be strong.’
‘How can I?’ I ask feeling tears form
She sighs
‘Sit.’ She orders as she gets down inside the cell and I sit just close, the metal bars our only separation point
‘I want you to listen to me Nella.’ She begins holding out her hands and I place mine in them
‘This place is not nice, they are people who are sick. Last night I noticed someone being raped, others don’t eat because they have to exchange for sleeping spaces with the food that is given to them. Then there is no bathroom.’
I look at her
‘That bucket in the centre is what is used and it is only taken out once a day, now can you see how many of us are in here?’ She asks
‘Chanda.’
‘Nella but this can never be compared to what I could have made you or any of the workers at the firm go through, had Mr. Nakamba taken over most people would have lost their benefits from the years they worked because new management would have taken over.’
‘I messed up, real bad and I am glad to pay for my mistakes.’
‘Not this way.’ I say
‘Would you rather I had died?’
‘Um um.’
‘Exactly, then let me do jail time.’ She says
‘Chibesa came to see me.’
‘Oh.’
‘He thinks I kept him at the firm to hurt you.’
‘What?’
‘I know.’
‘Anyone who has worked with him knows he is really good at his job, why would he think any less of himself?’
‘My thoughts exactly:’ I respond
‘Away from that, Mrs. Nakamba came to see me today.’
‘Why?’
‘She wants me to plead not guilty
I look at her
‘I won’t.’
‘But
on what grounds will you be doing that?’
‘According to her, she can get the board members to agree that you are incompetent and so we decided to vote you out as CEO hence selling the firm.’
‘That doesn’t make sense.’
‘It’s a case where if we sell and the Nakambas take over, CEO powers would have been given to me and it would be like before except with me as head.’
‘But the clause.’
‘Exactly, they are saying we could claim we didn’t have the original documents in hand and what we had was false so the crime comes back to you for withholding such information from the board members.’
‘But Mrs. Nakamba?’
‘Her husband is threatening her I believe and you have to get to the bottom of this.’ ‘But if you won’t agree then he has no case right?’
‘He does, ask Chibesa to help you. I have a feeling August is involved:’ ‘August?’
‘Nella don’t trust anyone if it isn’t Chibesa, he is the only one that can help you.’ ‘Time up.’ The guard says
‘No one I said.’ She repeats when we both stand up ‘And hey.’ She calls out
I look at her.
‘Destroy whatever information you don’t need in that box back home, it might get into the wrong hands.’
‘But how did you?’
She doesn’t allow me to finish
‘Trust no one Nella.’
..
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